This invention relates to a pollution control system for air or gas, or air or gas containing microparticles such as smoke.
Air pollution is a long-standing menace particularly in regard to foundry operations, various manufacturing industries, field burning and exhaust from power plants and internal combustion engines where the exhausts are released to the atmosphere.
In addition to particulates such as smoke and dust the most objectionable polluting gases are sulfur dioxide, hydro-carbons, oxides of nitrogen, methane, freons, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methyl chloroform and carbon tetrachloride.
Various types of pollution control devices exist in the prior art. Schwartz U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,697 describes a system in which hot flue gas is cooled before passing it to an enclosure for removing noxious gases. Two such enclosures are provided allowing the gas flow to be transferred from one to the other.
Jackson U.S. Pat. No. 3,729,901 describes pollutant recovery apparatus in which exhaust gases are bubbled through liquid in one or the other of two tanks so that one tank may be cleaned while the other is operating to collect contaminants.
Schimpke U.S. Pat. No. 3,347,535 describes a gas-liquid contact apparatus having two air washer housings mounted side-by-side on a single liquid tank.
Schouw U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,594 describes a modular fume scrubber having three modules, one on top of the other and connected in parallel to triple the capacity of the system without increasing the required floor space required for a single unit.
Panzica U.S. Pat. No. 3,299,621; Howick U.S. Pat. No. 3,557,535; Howick U.s. Pat. No. 3,702,048 and Harmon U.S. Pat. No. 2,007,759 describe air gas washers having an upward flow through spray generators, impeller blades and baffles.
These devices do not have the capability to accomplish a "no detection" result. They may be effective to a certain extent but lack the ability to completely remove the contaminant.